A semiconductor light emitting element includes a semiconductor layer having at least an n-type layer, a light emitting layer, and a p-type layer which are formed on a wafer. Preferably, the wafer on which the semiconductor layer is formed is free of crystal defects, and has excellent crystallinity. As a method for reducing crystal defects in a wafer, a method has been known which forms a region called a crystal defect region (core) in the wafer. The core is a region which has a crystal defect density higher than in the other region, and is formed to extend through the wafer. By forming the core in the wafer, it is possible to concentrate the crystal defects in the core. By concentrating the crystal defects in the core, a region free of crystal defects and having excellent crystallinity is formed around the core. By forming the semiconductor layer of the semiconductor light emitting element over the region with excellent crystallinity, which is other than the core of the wafer, the light emitting element having excellent characteristics can be realized.
For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a nitride-compound-semiconductor light emitting element which is formed by using a wafer made of gallium nitride (GaN) and having a plurality of periodically formed cores. The nitride-compound light emitting element disclosed in Patent Document 1 uses the wafer in which the plurality of cores are periodically arranged, and regions each having excellent crystallinity are formed between the cores. By forming ridge stripes in the regions of the wafer with excellent crystallinity, the semiconductor light emitting element utilizing semiconductor layer with excellent crystallinity is realized. In addition, by forming electrodes in the regions other than the cores, a current is prevented from flowing in the cores. This prevents an increase in leakage current due to the cores.    Patent Document 1: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2003-229638